January 18, 2011
AAHD Concurs with CDC Report – Gaps in Disability Data and Interventions Must Be More Consistently Implemented
The American Association on Health and Disability ( a national organization actively involved in promoting the overall good health of persons with disabilities - concurs with the January 14 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “MMWR” report, “Health Disparities and Inequalities Report” ( that more data collection and more proactive interventions must be immediately implemented to assist persons with disabilities.
CDC observes that “health disparities are differences in health outcomes between groups that reflect social inequalities.” (page 1). The CDC report concludes that there are significant “data gaps” in the “critical disability domain.” (page 6). Only 8 of the 22 disparity topics analyzed by CDC include disability. Effective interventions to overcome disparity based on disability largely don’t exist.
CDC observes that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy People 2010 and 2020 “have an objective to include a standard set of disability questions in the core of all relevant data systems.” (page 8). AAHD reminds CDC and HHS of the new statutory requirements to collect disability and inequity data through the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA, P.L. 111-148) as amended by the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act” (HCER, P.L. 111-152). AAHD calls on CDC and HHS to immediately implement these requirements.
Of the few disability equity measures reported by CDC, there is some “relative” good news related to disability. Persons with disabilities have better health insurance coverage than persons without disabilities, although both groups have significant insurance gaps in coverage. (page 36). Persons with disabilities receive a higher percent fecal occult blood tests and lower endoscopy tests than persons without disabilities. (page 43) Persons with disability engage in lower binge drinking episodes than those without disabilities. (page 103)
But there are alarming disparities for persons with disabilities related to the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Persons with disabilities of all ages have more than twice the incidence of diabetes than persons without disabilities. (pages 91-92). And, persons with disabilities over the age of 18 have 10% higher incidence of hypertension (39.3% and 29.3%) than adults without disabilities. All the diabetes and hypertension rates are unacceptable.
AAHD concurs with CDC that “ongoing racial/ethnic, economic, and other social disparities in health are both unacceptable and correctable.” (page 1). The nation needs to increase its focus on health disparities facing persons with disabilities.
Contact: Roberta Carlin, M.S., J.D., AAHD, 301-545-6140, extension 206
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